Who’s this for?

A case evaluation is for individual self-reps who want strategic advice about their case. If you’re part way into a court proceeding and there are documents from both sides, a case evaluation can give you strategic insights on the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. The service is useful for individuals who want to:

Understand what facts and arguments will have the greatest impact on a judge

Understand whether a mediated agreement is fair

Feel prepared for court or mediation

A neutral case evaluation is also for couples, who want to discuss their options outside of court. It’s useful for couples who want to:

Understand whether the matter can be settled outside of court

Discuss a potential agreement from home

Understand the strengths and weaknesses of both sides

The case evaluation process is neutral, fully transparent, and will include insights about what to expect if the matter goes to court. Each party sees the other side’s material and your experienced family law lawyer facilitates a 3-way telephone call to discuss the matter. Everything said is completely confidential and nothing can be used or referred to if the matter continues to court.

The experienced lawyer providing the evaluation for couples isn’t acting as a mediator. The process is neutral and one party may be more pleased with the evaluation than the other. This service is intended to help each side understand how a judge might see their case. It’s a voluntary, non-binding service.

What’s included

Your lawyer will read the materials you submit and set up a call with you (and the other side if applicable). During the call, the lawyer will speak openly and frankly about the strengths and weaknesses of each side and offer an opinion about what results to expect if the matter goes to trial.

Your experienced lawyer has years of experience with family court and understands how judges make decisions. A neutral evaluation is like having a private judge who will give a non-binding decision. It’s much quicker and cost-effective than going through a trial to get a judge’s opinion.

NOTE: A neutral evaluation by an experienced lawyer doesn’t bind a judge and any final decision in court will depend on the evidence the parties give and the presentations they make.

You’ll be assigned to an experienced family lawyer. You’ll get a copy of the Case Evaluation Service Agreement, an Intake form, and a credit card authorization form for payment.

Each person (if this is for an individual or couple) will need to respond with an Intake form, and confirm that they accept the Case Evaluation Service Agreement. On the Intake form, each of you will outline the basic information, your position, and what you believe your partner’s position is. You’ll also send a list of all existing court documents.

The lawyer will provide a final quote. Both parties will agree to the fee and provide payment details before moving forward. A deposit of $400 + tax ($452 total) if this is for an individual, or $400 + tax for each person ($904 total) will be processed.

The lawyer will schedule a 2-way or 3-way conference call or Skype chat to discuss the case at a time that’s convenient for everyone. During the call, the lawyer will provide you with a neutral, third party evaluation on the strengths and weaknesses of each side and provide both sides with a realistic expectation of what the end result might be. This isn’t a mediation designed to get parties to agree on anything. This isn’t arbitration intended to bind anyone to a decision. The lawyer will provide independent advice on the possibility of settling matters outside of court and what to expect if the matter is decided by a judge. Once the call is complete, the remainder of the payment will be processed.

Not sure if this is the right service for you? Contact us and we’ll help you decide on the most affordable service or services based on your specific set of needs.

Tips

When filling out your intake form, try to be clear and concise. Stick to the important points regarding issues under negotiation.

Read your intake form over before you hit ‘send’. You can also have someone else read it over so that you know the information is communicated the way you want.

Contact us if you’d like to see the Limited Scope Retainer for this service.